


At your Doorstep

by Forever_Tank



Series: Pearlnet Bomb 2018 [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Anniversary(?), Celebrations, Classic trope imo, Drunk Garnet, F/F, Human AU, One Shot, Past Relationship(s), Pearlnetbomb2018, Pearlnetweek2018, Sarcastic Celebrations, Showing up at One's doorstep in the middle of the night, Somewhat sad, Tired Pearl, somewhat ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 15:59:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15319047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forever_Tank/pseuds/Forever_Tank
Summary: “Oh you got to be kidding me.”Pearl threw the bat aside and unlocked the door, wrenching it open, not bothering to mask her disdain.“Heeeeyy-hic!-“





	At your Doorstep

**Author's Note:**

> So to start off this pearlnetbomb I decided to go with the unoriginal-but-always-amusing 'You showed up at my doorstep at 3:00 am drunk off your ass and I don't have the heart to turn you away.' Oh, and it's somewhat angsty as well!  
> My thought process behind making this is that whenever we have a breakup fic/post-breakup with Pearlnet, it's Pearl who fucked up, so I just wanted to switch that up. I also decided that any holiday celebration would probably be done by everyone so I tried this instead. 
> 
> Today's prompt theme was Gothic/Celebration. I loosely followed the latter theme.

_**At your Doorstep** _

 

Pearl would have finally had a good night’s sleep if it weren’t for the pounding on her door that woke her up at exactly 2:45 am. At first her eyelids cracked open, then they widened fully and she sat up, heart beating in sync with the pounding. She slid out of her bed and grabbed the bat next to her nightstand, praying to the stars that she wouldn’t have to use it tonight as she made her way out of her bedroom and down the stairs to the first floor. The living room was dark, heightening her nerves as she maneuvered around her furniture and approached the front door just as the person behind it began to bang again. Bat kept over her shoulder, she glanced through the peephole.

“Oh you got to be kidding me.”

Pearl threw the bat aside and unlocked the door, wrenching it open, not bothering to mask her disdain.

“Heeeeyy- _hic!_ -“

Garnet wobbled back and forth on her feet, one hand braced against the doorframe, a sheepish grin on her full lips. Her clothes, a maroon long sleeved shirt and dark blue jeans, were ruffled and stained. The stench of alcohol wafted off of her in waves, making Pearl’s nose crinkle.

“What?” Pearl didn’t have the patience for this. She wanted to be back in bed.

“I, uh, the pub is down the street from your house and my house is allll the way across town.” Garnet threw an arm out to mimic the distance. “So, uh, I didn’t wanna, uh, drive back home, and walking is kinda out of the question.” Garnet was swaying so much it made Pearl dizzy. “Do you mind taking me in for the night? I can sleep in the bathtub if you don’t want me stinking up the furniture.”

Pearl’s face was entirely unamused, and when she stepped back Garnet fully expected to have the door slammed in her face. Instead, Pearl turned her body to the side and held her arm out in a ‘come in’ motion. Garnet gave an appreciative nod. She let go of the door frame and stumbled inside, squinting her eyes to reduce the double vision. Pearl shut the door and relocked it. A thud behind her made her start with a light gasp. When she turned around, her eyes spotted Garnet laying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling with both hands tangled in her hair.

“Wow, I’m drunk. I knew tha’ fifth shot was a bad idea.” She slurred out, closing her eyes and letting out a low groan.

“The first one was a bad idea.”

“It wasn’t at the time!” Garnet exclaimed. She grumbled as she made to sit up, and she got to her feet with the grace of toddler trying to walk for the first time. She made her way to the two-seat couch, holding her hands out to help determine which one was real and which one wasn’t. When she found the real one, Garnet turned and plopped down on it. Crossing her arms, Pearl took a seat in the arm chair across from her.

“Garnet.”

Garnet lolled her head over, looking at Pearl with glassy mismatched eyes. “Wha-?”

“This is the third time this month.”

“I know.” Garnet lolled her head back again. “I had a good reason this time.”

Pearl didn’t say anything, only narrowing her eyes as she expected the explanation to come.

“We broke up today, las’ year.”

Pearl’s shoulders dropped then, and her eyelids relaxed from their narrowed position. A frown crossed over her lips as she looked down at the brown carpeting on her floor. She had forgotten about that.

“Still doesn’t give you an excuse to get hammered and show up at my door at 3:00 am.” She said.

“Nah, it doesn’t.” Garnet agreed, rubbing her eyes. She let out a small ‘hic’. “’m sorry.”

Pearl’s frown deepened, and she dragged her big toe across the carpet, drawing patterns.

“Thanks for takin’ me in though. I ‘preciate it.” Garnet moved her hand away, and she looked at Pearl with sincere eyes and an even sincerer smile that quickly dropped when she saw how tense her ex was. Garnet grimaced, looking down at her own lap. Or at least she tried to. It kept on going farther away from her and drawing closer. Once more she slurred about how drunk she was as she rubbed at her eyes.

“You can sleep on the couch. I’ll get you a blanket.” Pearl sprung up and crossed the room within a few steps.

“Y’know, if you hate me so much, you could have left me outside!” Garnet called after her, and she lost her balance and toppled over, the small of her back hitting the arm of the couch. Pearl stiffened, stopping in her tracks.

“I don’t hate you.”

“Yeah, right, I’m not tha’ drunk.” Garnet moaned out. She managed to inch herself down the couch until her head was resting on the arm. She shut her eyes and let out a sigh that turned into a hiccup. A blanket draped over her, and she cracked an eye open to see Pearl standing above her.

“I don’t hate you.” She repeated.

“But you don’t like me either?”

Pearl said nothing. Garnet let out a laugh that was more pained then anything.

“I knew it! Fuutuure vision…” She managed to slur out. Pearl still didn’t respond, but telling by her face Garnet figured that any response would be nothing short of confirmation. She watched as Pearl turned around, heading to the staircase.

“Goodnight.”

Garnet watched her leave. She slurred out her own goodnight and settled into the blankets, making sure to turn onto her side and to keep her back pressed against the cushions.

\--

The sound of her coffeemaker running greeted Pearl’s ears not a second after she woke up. The pale woman sat up in her bed and ran her fingers through tangled red hair, eyes barely open as she glanced around her bedroom. Memories of last night flooded her head, and she let out a sigh as she pressed her feet onto her carpet and stood up, taking a moment to stretch, then heading for her door, her hand scratching an inch on her lower back.

“Make yourself at home.” Pearl murmured to herself as she descended the staircase. She turned around and entered her dining room. A cup of coffee sat on the round dining table, sugar packets right next to it, as well as a glass of creamer. Glancing into her kitchen allowed her to catch sight of Garnet pouring her own mug.

“Morning.”

Garnet glanced over her shoulder. “Morning.”

Silence fell between them as Pearl took her seat at the table. Garnet followed soon after, setting her mug of black coffee onto the table and taking a seat. Her hand toyed with the handle, then her fingers wrapped around it and she brought the mug to her lips to take a long sip. She set the mug down afterwards.

“I’m sorry about last night.”

Pearl didn’t answer. She stirred her coffee.

“I’m also really hungover.”

“Ibuprofen’s in the mirror cabinet.” Pearl muttered.

Garnet nodded, closing her eyes as the middle of her forehead panged with pain. She reopened them and studied Pearl. Her lips were in a tight line, and her eyes were half lidded. Everything about her screamed tension. And the tension bled from her and into the air of the room, so thick it could be cut with a knife.

“So, about you hating me-“

“I don’t hate you.”

“Right.” Garnet leaned back against the chair, sipping at her mug again. “Think we need to get something out on the table.”

“I invited you into my home because I didn’t want to leave you outside, not because I wanted to talk about us.” Pearl’s face screwed up with irritation.

“Our ‘anniversary’ was yesterday.”

“Break up anniversary.”

“Obviously.”

Pearl’s gaze shot up from her coffee, glaring. Garnet held no visible reaction to it; she only sipped her coffee again.

“So, you hating me-“

“I. Don’t. Hate. You.” Pearl paused between each word.

A soft chuckle drifted from the lips of her ex. She set her mug down with a clank. The chair creaked as Garnet leaned back again, crossing her arms. “You were always a bad liar.” A smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You could have left me outside.”

“I didn’t want to be responsible for whatever happened to you.”

Another mirthless chuckle. “So sweet.”

“I try.” Pearl said dryly. Silence fell between them again, neither of the women knowing what to say to each other. Pearl took small, frequent sips of her coffee. Garnet took infrequent, long ones. The morning sun shone through the windows, casting a yellow slash across the brown dining table. The sight of it made Garnet clutch at her chest. A few moments later she was muttering about forgetting her glasses at the pub, but her voice died down soon after. Quiet again.

“To think we thought we were right for each other.” Garnet commented, it made Pearl frown. Her fingernails clinked against the coffee mug rhythmically.

“We were, once. I loved you.”

“I still do.”

Pearl winced.

“Remember reading those ‘statistics’ that any serious relationship you have in high school won’t last after you graduate?  We thought we were the exception.” Garnet laughed, sipping her coffee again.

“We were also 15 and thought that holding hands meant commitment.” Pearl added.

“To be 15 again.” Garnet mused. She hid her face in her mug. “Could do without the hormones, but not having to deal with being a semi-functional adult would be worth it.”

Pearl nodded in agreement. A five second-a really long five second- pause occurred between the two former girlfriends. Thoughts spun around in Pearl’s head, about everything she could say, everything that happened, and everything she wanted to do. Garnet thought about how nice Pearl looked in her pajamas, and then she blamed the hangover for that thought.

“I don’t hate you.” Pearl muttered. Garnet smiled and shook her head. “I don’t.” Pearl repeated after seeing her reaction.

“Act like it, then.” Garnet finished her coffee and set it down. “I’m sorry for coming to your door after I get drunk, I’ll go to a different pub next time.”

“And then have nowhere to go when you inevitably get hammered? Just come to me.” Pearl muttered the last part into her cup as quietly as she could, but somehow Garnet managed to hear it, judging by her fall in expression. Mismatched eyes found the floor very interesting then.

“I’m sorry for being a fuckup.” Garnet muttered.

“You aren’t a fuckup.”

She scoffed at that. “That’s as believable as you not hating me.”

“I don’t- ugh, forget it.” Pearl stared down her ex, but Garnet never attempted to meet her eyes. It annoyed her, but at the same time she understood. Pearl toyed with her almost-empty cup, rolling it back and forth on its side, swishing the dark brown liquid around. They entered silence once again. Neither looked to break it this time, though the pressure to do so slowly started to build.

“Breakup anniversary.” Garnet broke the silence with only those words.

“Yeah.”

“A toast to it, then? In celebration to us?” Garnet’s voice was full of sarcasm as she raised her coffee mug. Pearl eyed the mug in the air, then glanced down at her own. With half a smile, she lifted her mug.

“In celebration to our breakup.”

“Here, here.”

They clinked glasses together. Pearl finished off her mug and Garnet set hers down on the table and rubbed her face with her hand, dragging her palm down her cheek. When the sound of Pearl’s mug hitting the table cut through the air, Garnet stood and pushed her chair in.

“I should get out of your hair now.”

Garnet didn’t wait for a response as she made for the front door, walking fast, crossing into the living room in seconds almost. Pearl watched her, then she stood up and followed after her, at her heels in mere moments. Her ex turned to face her, tilting her head down to look her in the eyes. The pale woman became apprehensive then, her gaze falling to her feet as she shifted her weight back and forth. Garnet stayed patient though. She was always so patient.

“Can I get a hug before you leave?” Pearl blurted out quickly. Their eyes met then. Garnet looked shocked. A flush crept along pale cheeks. Pearl looked away.

But then Garnet stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her, and Pearl barely hesitated in doing the same, hugging her tightly in a way that made her miss everything they used to be.

_It’s not worth it._

She had to repeat it like a mantra in her head, to keep herself from saying those dreaded words, those words she contemplated every time Garnet came over: Can we try again? Her lips curled into her mouth and she bit down to keep them closed.

_I can be better this time._

Garnet thought to herself as she rested her head on Pearl’s head, but her control was greater than her wants so she kept herself from saying it out loud. There was no need to repeat the same mistakes. They both learned their lesson.

When the two pulled away, there wasn’t a lot of happiness. The mood of the house dropped into something somber.

Garnet scratched at the back of her neck as she stepped away.

“Guess I’ll see you next month then?”

Pearl let out a humorless laugh.

“Stop getting drunk.”

Her ex shrugged, and then she unlocked the front door. With a quick ‘bye’ Garnet pulled it open and left quickly.

The click of the door closing seemed to echo through Pearl’s very, very empty house.

**Author's Note:**

> It's really up to interpretation as to what happened between them. Their relationship spanned about 9 years tho and their breakup is something that neither of the two have taken too well.


End file.
